STUDENT/PARENT HANDBOOK ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT LACRESCENT-HOKAH SCHOOL DISTRICT

2015-2016 STUDENT/PARENT HANDBOOK ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT LACRESCENT-HOKAH SCHOOL DISTRICT Dear Parent and Student: Welcome to Lancer Country!! It is with great pride that I have written this handbook for you to read. Basic information for participation in La Crescent's activities program is presented on the following pages. Please take the time to read and discuss the information. Every individual has varied interests; that is why such a wide range of activities is offered. It is my goal that each and every student tries at least one activity we have to offer here at LaCrescent - Hokah Schools. Thank you, Activities Director GENERAL INFORMATION A Meet the Fall Coaches Night as well as registration will be held on Monday, August 3 rd 2015 at 6:00 p.m. Registration for fall activities will continue on Tuesday, August 4th through Friday, August 14 th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Registration for Winter Activities will be held on or about October 30 th and Spring Activities on or about February 26 th. Students should listen for announcements regarding Winter and Spring sign-up meetings. Physicals - A participant must have a valid physical every 3 years. A form is available on the isd300 website and in the Activities Department office; which must be signed by the attending physician, the participant, and the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of the participant. Physicals may be obtained at any licensed medical facility in any state; however, the MSHSL Physical Form must be used and turned into the Activities office. Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Information: From time to time, questions regarding MSHSL procedures and rules arise. The MSHSL has a terrific web site. The address for that web site is www.mshsl.org. Please access this web site often to stay current with any schedule changes, rules changes, or other MSHSL information. La Crescent-Hokah Schools Web site: ISD 300 has a web site address: www.isd300.k12.mn.us. Please use this resource for Activities Department information as well as activity schedules. Athletic Passes - This pass will allow the purchaser to gain entry to all sporting events for which admission is charged. This EXCLUDES MSHSL sponsored tournament games which LaCrescent High School may host. Athletic passes may be purchased from the Activities Office. Student passes are priced at $25 and adult passes are priced at $50. Students will be admitted at no cost with a Pride Card. Free Senior passes are available to any member of our school district who is 60 years old or older. Senior citizens and/or students who do not have a pass will be charged $4.00 per event. This price requires approval by the school board. Replacement passes will be issued at a fee of $5.00. ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT HANDBOOK 2015-2016 PAGE 1

In order to participate in a non-athletic activity, a student must have paid the fee associated with the activity. No physical is required to participate in a non-athletic activity. In order to participate in an athletic activity, a student must: 1. Have on file in the Activities Office a current physical form (enclosed in this packet.) This applies to students who wish to participate in interscholastic sports activities and dance team. Please do not turn physical forms in to a coach. A physical is needed every three years. It is also recommended that if a student has had a major illness or injury, that this student gets a new physical. 2. Have on file in the activities office a current school year Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Athletic Eligibility Information Form (we call this a parent permit form). Please Note: This must be done once every school year. This form is also enclosed. 3. Have paid the fees associated with the activity. Please note: fee payments are to off set the entire cost of a program. It is NOT paying for playing time. Please see our playing time philosophy in this handbook. The above 3 items must be completed before a person is allowed to PRACTICE. During a period of ineligibility, whether it be MSHSL related or academic, a student-athlete is allowed to practice (subject to parental discretion), but may not dress in uniform for a contest. They are allowed to be in attendance at the game as a spectator. Lettering requirements are at each head coach s discretion. Such information would be disseminated at a team meeting near the beginning of the season. Activities Coaches and Start Date Information Activity Coach (contact person) Starting Date Football Brad Groth August 10 (7-12) Cross Country Mark Abraham August 17 (7-12) Boys Soccer J.P. Piche August 17 (7-12) Girls Soccer Ed Hoskin August 17 (7-12) Volleyball Jonathan Rein August 17 (7-12) Girls Basketball Neal Zygarlicke November 16 (7-12) Boys Basketball Ryan Thibodeau November 9 (7-12) Wrestling Rick Yanke November 16 (7-12) Gymnastics Jessica Wiese November 9 (7-12) Hockey J.P. Piche November 9 (9-12) Baseball Rick Boyer March 21 (7-12) Softball Jim Clark March 14 (7-12) Track & Field Mark Abraham March 14 (7-12) Girls Golf Josh Forman March 21 (7-12) Boys Golf Dave Kubicek March 21 (7-12) ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT HANDBOOK 2015-2016 PAGE 2

SECTION I ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES OFFERED AT LA CRESCENT - HOKAH SCHOOL AND PARTICIPATION FEE SCHEDULE ACTIVITY GENDER FEE* SEASON GRADE LEVELS Football boys $140.00 fall 7-12 Volleyball girls $140.00 fall 7-12 Soccer b/g $140.00 fall 7-12 Cross Country b/g $140.00 fall 7-12 Basketball b/g $140.00 winter 7-12 Hockey boys $140.00 winter 7-12 Gymnastics girls $140.00 winter 7-12 Wrestling boys $140.00 winter 7-12 Baseball boys $140.00 spring 7-12 Softball girls $140.00 spring 7-12 Track and Field b/g $140.00 spring 7-12 Golf b/g $140.00 spring 7-12 NON ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES Drama b/g $85.00 winter 9-12 Knowledge Bowl b/g $85.00 fall/winter 9-12 Forensics/Speech b/g $85.00 winter 9-12 Robotics b/g $85.00 winter 9-12 (M.S.) Fall Play b/g $85.00 fall 5-8 Math Team b/g $85.00 fall/winter 7-12 Jazz Band b/g $85.00 fall/winter 6-12 Family Limit of $625.00. *Subject to School Board approval. *This fee does NOT include sports specific items such as shoes, baseball gloves, golf clubs, etc. *Payment of fee does NOT guarantee playing time. This fee helps offset the entire cost of a program. Changes in the Non-Athletic Activities list may occur after this handbook is distributed. Please check with the Activities Office for current information. We offer several activities that are somewhat classroom related. These DO NOT require a fee to participate. These include: some of the bands, various choirs, geography bees (middle level), science fairs and the like. Please contact the respective teacher(s) for this information. ALL FEES ARE TO BE PAID IN THE ACTIVITIES OFFICE OR VIA THE ON-LINE WEB STORE. ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT HANDBOOK 2015-2016 PAGE 3

SECTION II Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Rules and Regulations: Section 1 Philosophy and Purpose A. Philosophy of the member schools relating to the use of mood-altering chemicals, i.e. alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs. The MSHSL recognizes the use of mood-altering chemicals as a significant health problem for many adolescents, resulting in negative effects on behavior, learning and the total development of each individual. The misuse and abuse of mood-altering chemicals for some adolescents affects extra-curricular participation and development of related skills. Other people are affected by the misuse and abuse of these items. The close contact in MSHSL activities of advisors and coaches provides them with a unique opportunity to observe, confront, and assist young people. The MSHSL, therefore, supports education and awareness training in adolescent chemical use problems including the symptoms of chemical dependency and special issues affecting League activities for administrators, athletic directors, coaches, advisors, participants and their families. B. Statement of purpose 1. To provide consistency with the MSHSL constitution: "to elevate standards of sportsmanship and to encourage the growth of responsible citizenship among the students, member schools and their personnel." 2. To emphasize the school s concerns for the health of students in areas of safety while participating in activities and the long term physical and emotional effects of chemical use on their health. 3. To promote equity and a sense of order and discipline among students. 4. To confirm and support existing state laws which restrict the use of such mood altering chemicals. 5. To establish standards of conduct for those students who are leaders and standard bearers among their peers. 6. To assist students who desire to resist peer pressure which directs them toward the use of mood-altering chemicals. 7. To assist students who should be referred for assistance or evaluation regarding their use of moodaltering chemicals. 2. Rules Twelve (12) months of the year, a student shall not at any time, regardless of the quantity: (1) use or consume, have in possession a beverage containing alcohol; (2) use or consume, have in possession tobacco; or (3) use or consume, have in possession, buy, sell, or give away any other controlled substance or drug paraphernalia. ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT HANDBOOK 2015-2016 PAGE 4

It is not a violation for a student to be in possession of a controlled substance specifically prescribed for the student's use by his/her own doctor. Section 3 Categories of Activities A. Category I Activities: Those league sponsored activities in which a member school has a schedule of interscholastic contests, exclusive of league sponsored tournament contests. Included in this category would be athletic activities as listed in the athletic rules of the officials handbook. Also included would be Debate or other non-athletic activities in which there is a schedule of interscholastic contests. B. Category II Activities: Those league sponsored activities in which a member school does not have a schedule of interscholastic contests, exclusive of league sponsored tournaments. Section 4 Penalties and Recommendations for Category I Activities A penalty will be incurred for MSHSL Bylaw 206 (Chemical Eligibility) and Bylaw 210 (sexual/racial/religious harassment and/or violence). Definitions of these terms are in the 2014-2015 Athletic Eligibility Information sheet which each participant and participant s parent must sign EACH SCHOOL YEAR. This form is available in the Activities Office. A. First Violation 1. Penalty: after confirmation of the first violation the student shall lose eligibility for the next TWO (2) CONSECUTIVE INTERSCHOLASTIC EVENTS or TWO WEEKS OF THE SEASON in which the student is a participant, whichever is GREATER. No exception is made for a student who becomes a participant in a treatment program. 2. Recommendations: a. It is recommended that the school develop a local education program through which the student would receive information about the effects of misuse or abuse of mood-altering chemicals. b. It is recommended that, when appropriate, the school refer the student to a community agency or a professional individual outside the school for assessment of potential chemical abuse or misuse. B. Second Violation 1. Penalty: After confirmation of the second violation the student shall lose eligibility for the next SIX (6) CONSECUTIVE INTERSCHOLASTIC EVENTS ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT HANDBOOK 2015-2016 PAGE 5

or THREE (3) WEEKS OF THE SEASON in which the student is a participant, whichever is GREATER. No exception is made for a student who becomes a participant in a treatment program. 2. Recommendations: a. It is recommended that before being re-admitted to activities following a suspension for the second violation, the student shall show evidence, in writing, that s/he has sought or has received counseling from a community agency or professional individual such as a school counselor, drug counselor, medical doctor, psychiatrist, or psychologist. b. It is recommended that, when appropriate, the school refer the student to a community agency or professional individual outside the school for assessment of potential chemical abuse or misuse. C. Third and Subsequent Violations 1. Penalty: After confirmation of the third violation or subsequent violation the student shall lose eligibility for the next TWELVE (12) CONSECUTIVE INTERSCHOLASTIC EVENTS or FOUR (4) WEEKS OF THE SEASON in which the student is a participant, whichever is GREATER. If after a third or subsequent violation, the student, on her/his own volition, becomes a participant in a chemical dependency program or treatment program, the student may be certified for reinstatement in MSHSL activities after a minimum period of SIX (6) weeks. Such certification must be issued by the director or a counselor of a chemical dependency treatment center. 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the student be referred for assessment of potential chemical abuse, misuse, or dependency by a community agency or a professional individual outside the school. D. Penalties are accumulative beginning with and throughout the student s participation in an activity (grades 7-12). Any student athlete who incurs a chemical violation will be unable to perform as a team captain for one calendar year. Section 5 Penalties for Category II Activities A. After confirmation of a chemical violation, the student will become ineligible for the NEXT extra curricular activity he or she is involved in (a list of those activities for which a student may be ineligible may be obtained from the Activities Office) ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT HANDBOOK 2015-2016 PAGE 6

SECTION III Academic Eligibility and Other Local Policies Academic Eligibility will start with the third week of each new semester. Students must be making satisfactory academic progress to participate in extra-curricular activities. Any student with an F is ineligible to compete or perform in any extra-curricular school event or school sponsored competition. Grades are checked each Tuesday at the end of the school day and students will be ineligible to compete and/or travel with their group for the entire week. Students will be able to attend practices. NOTE: Students may be held from practices at the discretion of the building principal. Students who end the first semester (1 st and 2 nd trimester for middle school) with an F will be held from competitions/performances and travel until eligibility is checked on the third week of the 2 nd semester (2 nd and 3 rd trimester for middle school). Students in special classes must be making satisfactory progress toward the Student s Individual Education Plan as determined by the case manager and administrator. Team Support Personnel Any student that participates by being a team manager, scorekeeper, statistician, video taper, announcer, or any other team support position must be a student of good standing as defined by the Minnesota State High School League Handbook. Good Standing: In order to be eligible for regular season and MSHSL tournament competition, a student must be in good standing. Definition: The term good standing shall mean that the student is eligible under all of the conditions and eligibility requirements of that school as well as the eligibility requirements of the MSHSL. Student Code of Responsibilities: Participation in interscholastic activities is a privilege which is accompanied by responsibility. As a student participating in league sponsored activities, I understand and accept the following responsibilities: A. I will respect the rights and beliefs of others and will treat others with courtesy and consideration. B. I will be fully responsible for my own actions and the consequences of my actions. C. I will respect the rights and property of others. D. I will respect and obey the rules of my school and the laws of my community, state and country. E. I will show respect to those who are responsible for enforcing the rules of my school and the laws of my community, state and country. Penalty: A student who is dismissed from school or who violates the student code of responsibilities is not in good standing and is ineligible for a period of time as determined by the school principal acting on the authority of the ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT HANDBOOK 2015-2016 PAGE 7

local board of education. The league specifically recognizes that certain conduct requires penalties that may exceed those penalties typically imposed for first violations. A student must also be eligible academically to participate as a team support personnel. A student with a chemical violation must serve ten (10) days of detention in order to become eligible as a team support personnel. This does NOT fulfill the MSHSL eligibility requirements to participate in extra curricular activities. TRAVEL FOR EVENTS It is viewed to be the school district s responsibility to get a student to and from an activity. Therefore: any participant shall ride the school provided transportation. If a situation arises where a student needs to ride with someone else the following procedure must be adhered to: - the student may ride with his/her own parent(s) or legal guardian(s) with a note or PERSONAL contact from one of the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) to the coach or supervisor of this student. - A student may ride with someone else s parent(s) or legal guardian provided there is a note from BOTH the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of the student requesting the ride and the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) responsible for providing the ride. - Under no circumstances may a participant ride with just another student to or from an activity. WEATHER RELATED SCHOOL DELAYS/CLOSINGS If school is dismissed early due to weather conditions all practices and games will be cancelled. If school is cancelled due to weather conditions and weather improves, varsity level teams may practice and games may be played at the discretion of school administration. Coaches should use discretion when scheduling practice. ACTIVITIES PHILOSOPHY The activities program of the LaCrescent Middle School and High School is a vital part of the educational system. This program is intended to enrich students learning development through activities which foster emotional, intellectual, and physical growth. Its primary purpose is to assist students in growing and maturing into responsible members of society. PLAYING TIME GUIDELINES The following is what can generally be expected in regards to playing time. While it is true we encourage everyone to participate in extra-curricular activities, it also equally true that in life there are limits to what everyone can and cannot do. To that end, the activities department in conjunction with the activities advisory council endorses the following philosophy on playing time: Please remember all playing time guidelines are assuming that all other team rules are being followed. ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT HANDBOOK 2015-2016 PAGE 8

7 th and 8 th grade: This is the age where exploration is encouraged. Participation is encouraged for everyone who may have an interest in any particular activity. Playing time will be distributed as equally as possible. For some activities there is an A and a B team. This helps get more people larger portions of playing time. Skill development, introduction to competition, and teamwork are the emphasis. Winning is secondary. Development of life skills (such as dedication, sacrifice, hard work, putting the team in front of one s self, learning to accept discipline and victory and defeat gracefully, the realization there is a need to set priorities in life) begins at this level. 9 th grade: While participation is still a large part of the activity, the coach s role changes a little at this level. The coach is now charged with the beginning stages of developing those who have worked hard, shown exceptional skill, and have dedicated themselves to that activity as well as seeing to it that everyone gets some playing time throughout the course of the season. Skill development, fundamentals, and teamwork are emphasized. Playing time at this level will begin to shift toward those who demonstrate a desire, work ethic, and the attitude it takes to become successful in this activity. Development of life skills continues at this level. JV/B: This level s main objective is to continue development of those people who have worked to improve their skills. Teamwork and skill development continue to be the emphasis. Playing time at this level will go to those who are more skilled and developed. Development of life skills continues at this level. Varsity: This level s objectives are twofold: to further refine life skills, and winning within the parameters of the rules and good sportsmanship. Playing time will be given to those who will most help the team attain those objectives. Coaches at the 9-12 grade level will sit down with participants individually and explain what they can expect for playing time. In a situation where an individual may not understand why playing time is limited, the coach will further explain what things will be necessary in order for playing time to increase. It must be remembered that this is competitive interscholastic athletics and that playing time will not be evenly distributed. CHANGES FOR 2015-2016 1. Fall Registration date. Please see page 1 2. Entrance Fee to Events Increased. Please see page 1 3. Practice dates and times for fall sports. Please see page 2. 4. Academic Eligibility for Participation in Activities. Please see page 7. ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT HANDBOOK 2015-2016 PAGE 9

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